Yonne

The day began with a very cold start at around 5C with widespread fog, but promises of a lovely day ahead.

We all decided to buy baguette sandwiches for lunch from the boulangerie in Corbigny. These were carefully packed in our panniers for enjoying later.

First couple of km out of town were a bit scary, until we reached the peace and safety of the Canal du Nivernais. We were soon battling freezing fingers and dripping noses, but the scenery along the canal made up for the hardship. The fog was slowly lifting as the cows in the paddocks peacefully lifted their heads to watch us pass them by.

Yesterday we had a lot of km to cover, and therefore we were more concentrated on moving along than in savoring the beauty that was around us. Today we had plenty of time to thoroughly enjoy every part of the ride. The succession of old houses, deserted lock keepers' homes and quiet villages was absolutely what we have all come to love about France.

The only thing missing was an open café selling hot drinks. The GPS led us to a couple of possibilities, but they were all shut. In one village we saw a very likely looking place, but, once again, the place was firmly shut. The sign on the window explained that the café was closed “for leave”.

While we were feeling sorry for ourselves outside the locked café, a lady came from the house opposite and started chatting. She was carrying a rather bemused young child. The lady was obviously pleased to see us, in fact I suspected our arrival was the most exciting thing the village had seen for a long time. She was even more excited when Carol presented her with one of the small toy koalas she had brought from Australia.

We eventually found a TABAC in Tannay. This necessitated a detour from the hotel, and the town was situated at the top of a hill. Thank goodness for ebikes. After coffees and hot chocolates, we were on our way again.

A short distance further along we stopped alongside a lock for our picnic lunch. The baguettes and cakes were just as good as we had hoped they would be. It was a lovely way to spend time, just soaking up the amazing atmosphere.

In a nearby location we stumbled upon a deserted lock keepers house. It was in a rundown state, but Maggie fell in love with what it could become in the right hands. It certainly was interesting to wander around inside and picture what life would have been like here when it was inhabited.

At another lock we watched a Dutch couple manoeuvre their beautiful and quite huge boat through the gates. They explained that the boat was built in 1896 and was still fully original. When I asked the lady how she came be living on a boat, she simply answered “I met an idiot”. Enough said.

We rolled into the beautiful hamlet of Clamecy about 2 pm, and found that our luggage had not arrived yet. That gave some time to explore the town before checking into the rooms.

This had been one of the finest days of our entire trip. We now have only two cycling days left, before we say goodbye to our bikes for the final time.Read more